Stereoscopic image taking apparatus

Abstract

A stereoscopic image taking apparatus ( 10 ) according to an aspect of the present invention includes a single photographing optical system ( 12, 14 ); an imaging device ( 16 ) on which pupil-split object images which have passed through a first region and a second region f the photographing optical system, are formed, respectively, the first region and the second region being positioned differently in a predetermined direction, the imaging device which performs photoelectric conversions of an object image which has passed through the first region and an object image which has passed through the second region to output a first image and a second image; and an image processing unit ( 24 ) which performs a first image processing to the first image and a second image processing different from the first image processing to the second image and performs the first image processing and the second image processing so as to reduce a difference in image quality between the first image and the second image which have been processed.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A stereoscopic image taking apparatus comprising:
 a single photographing optical system; 
 an imaging device on which pupil-split object images which have passed through a first region and a second region of the photographing optical system, are formed, respectively, the first region and the second region being positioned differently in a predetermined direction, the imaging device configured to perform photoelectric conversions to an object image which has passed through the first region and an object image which has passed through second region to output a first image and a second image, respectively; and 
 an image processing unit configured to perform a first image processing to the first image and to perform a second image processing different from the first image processing to the second image, the image processing unit configured to perform the first image processing and the second image processing so as to reduce a difference in image quality between the first image and the second image which have been processed. 
 
     
     
       2. The stereoscopic image taking apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the image processing unit performs different sharpness corrections to the first image and the second image, respectively. 
 
     
     
       3. The stereoscopic image taking apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 a parallax amount calculating unit configured to calculate a parallax amount based upon the first image and the second image, wherein 
 the image processing unit reduces a degree of a sharpness correction to images whose calculated parallax amount is large. 
 
     
     
       4. The stereoscopic image taking apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the image processing unit performs different chromatic aberration corrections to the first image and the second image, respectively. 
 
     
     
       5. The stereoscopic image taking apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the image processing unit performs different distortion corrections to the first image and the second image, respectively. 
 
     
     
       6. The stereoscopic image taking apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a storage unit configured to store a first correction parameter and a second correction parameter used for an image processing of the first image and an image processing of the second image, wherein 
 the image processing unit performs the image processing to the first image and the image processing to the second image based upon the stored first correction parameter and the stored second correction parameter, respectively. 
 
     
     
       7. The stereoscopic image taking apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the photographing optical system is a zoom lens, 
 the first correction parameter and the second correction parameter are stored in the storage unit corresponding to zoom positions of the zoom lens or corresponding to the zoom positions and aperture values, respectively, and 
 the image processing unit reads the first correction parameter and the second correction parameter from the storage unit based upon a zoom position, or the zoom position and an aperture value at a photographing time to perform the image processing to the first image and the image processing to the second image based upon the read first correction parameter and the read second correction parameter, respectively. 
 
     
     
       8. The stereoscopic image taking apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a recording unit configured to record a stereoscopic image composed of the first image and the second image which have been processed by the image processing unit in a recording medium. 
 
     
     
       9. The stereoscopic image taking apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the image processing unit performs an image processing different from the first image processing and the second image processing at a photographing time of a flat image obtained by adding the first image and the second image. 
 
     
     
       10. The stereoscopic image taking apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a recording unit configured to record, in a recording medium, information representing a stereoscopic image and information representing a flat image together with the first image and the second image before being processed by the image processing unit while associating both information with each other, wherein 
 the image processing unit performs the first image processing and the second image processing to the first image and the second image which have been read from the recording medium at an outputting time of the stereoscopic image and performs an image processing different from the first image processing and the second image processing at an outputting time of the flat image. 
 
     
     
       11. The stereoscopic image taking apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the imaging device includes a first group of pixels and a second group of pixels for photoelectric conversion, the pixels in each group being arranged in a matrix, the first group of pixels being restricted regarding a light receiving direction of luminous flux so as to receive only the object image which has passed through the first region of the photographing optical system, and the second group of pixels being restricted regarding the light receiving direction of the luminous flux so as to receive only the object image which has passed through the second region of the photographing optical system, and the first image and the second image being capable of being read from the first group of pixels and the second group of pixels.